Ambient condition detectors have been found to be useful in providing an indication of the presence or absence of the respective condition being detected. Smoke, gas, temperature, and relative humidity detectors, for example, have been found useful in providing early warnings of the presence of conditions such as, for example, mechanical malfunction and/or fire.
When used in Heating/Ventilation/Air-conditioning (HVAC) duct systems, ambient condition detectors are able to not only signal the presence of alarm conditions anywhere in the building, but also in the machinery of the HVAC ducts themselves. Generally, HVAC detectors have special requirements over conventional detectors. For example, HVAC detectors often sample airflow behind dust filters, which are required to prevent dirt or dust related false alarms. When clean, these filters serve to remove undesirable dust particles from activating the alarm, while still allowing a steady rate of air to flow through the detection mechanism. However, dust filters become clogged over time, compromising sensor function and necessitating periodic maintenance of the filter in addition to the operational checks of, for example, the power supply and detector operation.
Furthermore, HVAC detectors and sensors, particularly in industrial buildings, are often installed in remote locations and thus can be difficult to precisely locate when installed behind walls or within ducts, for example. Access to and disassembly of an installed smoke detector for mere checking the contamination level of a filter or activity of a sensor, for example, is undesirably cumbersome, undesirable, and uneconomical.
Therefore, there continues to be a need for an apparatus and method to test the functionality of a detector without necessary disassembly of an installed detector. It is also desirable to provide a means to test multiple functional parameters of a sensor with a single test feature that can optionally be actuated without necessary direct access to the detector.